The Essential Service of the Church

by John Hellwege

Under the shadow of COVID-19, we have found ourselves questioning and rethinking many areas of life. We have rethought work—questioning if our work requires a building full of people or if it can be done remotely. We have rethought education— moving classes online. We have rethought where to live—with large urban centres, such as Toronto and Montreal, seeing record population losses as people have moved out.

As Christians, we have also had to rethink church—with churches required to meet online and having limitations when attendance has been allowed. There have been debates as to if and how to celebrate Holy Communion safely in a pandemic. Not only this, but new struggles have arisen between the civil and spiritual realms as some of our political leaders have placed great restrictions on church services; there have even been some churches here in Canada that have rebelled and held illegal services.

Any time we are forced to rethink things, we need to start by getting to the core of things and working out from there. So, to start, what is the Church? This question can be more complicated than it sounds because English is such a confusing language, even for native speakers. The word “church” can mean many things: a congregation, a church body (such as our own Lutheran Church–Canada), a building, the Divine Service… But, at its core, what is the Church?

Martin Luther answers this in the Smalcald Articles: “A seven-year-old child knows what the church is: holy believers and ‘the little sheep who hear the voice of their shepherd’” (SA III.12.2). Now, I guess children were brighter in Luther’s day, because I would have been a bit older than seven before I could have given such a good answer. But the definition is excellent: the Church is “the little sheep who hear the voice of their shepherd.” This should be a comfort to us considering the last year and a half. At no time did any premier or other civil leader cancel the Church; they could not! So long as there are Christians who listen to Christ, the Church remains. As Jesus reminded us, the very gates of Hell cannot overcome the Church (Matthew 16:18).

Does this mean that since there are Christians running around, and therefore the Church continues to exist that there is no need to “go to church?” Put another way, do we really need our local congregations or to attend the Divine Service? Absolutely, we need to attend the Divine Service! Our local congregations are absolutely essential! After all, there are two reasons that we call our local congregation a “church.” First, it is a local gathering of the “one holy Christian Church.” It is where Christians meet to “do the Christian thing” of receiving God’s gifts and worshipping Him.

The second, and most important, reason is that our local church meeting for the Divine Service is where God creates and sustains Christians and therefore creates and sustains the Church. Jesus commanded His disciples: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20). It is in the church that these very things—baptizing and teaching (preaching) the Word of Christ—take place. Yes, they can and do happen elsewhere, but the church service is where they are regularly found. In the same way, Jesus gave us the Lord’s Supper and commanded us: “Do this in remembrance of me” (1 Corinthians 11:24). This too takes place in the Divine Service.

During this pandemic, we should thank God for the gifts of the technology that allow us to hear church services from afar and be fed with His Word. Unfortunately, this has meant for a time forgoing the Sacraments which are, by definition, physical gifts that require a physical presence to receive the spiritual blessings. Nevertheless, we thank God for supporting us during this time. Thanks be to God for the use of the various streaming platforms and computer video technology that have allowed us to continue to hear His Word and “gather” with His people, albeit remotely.

For some, however, this more limited and remote participation in the church services has become normal. This attitude brings with it the danger of slowly falling away from the Church. It is all too easy for a Christian to grow more distant from their pastor and congregation, and this can lead to falling completely away slowly over time.

But what about the Sacraments? Can God sustain His church only through the Word, without the Lord’s Supper? Yes, He can. In fact, He has in the past. In the days of the Soviet Union, many Christians lived their entire lives without the care of a pastor, and therefore without Holy Communion—and yet God sustained the Church. But we should not confuse the minimum required with what is best. You can run your car for years without changing the oil, just topping it off from time to time. It will still work—but no mechanic in his or her right mind would recommend it. It might work, but not nearly as well. In the same way, we should not shun the Sacraments but gladly receive all of God’s gifts that He provides to us.

In the same way, we should seek to gather together as God’s Church for the mutual encouragement of each other. “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25). We need to be reminded that we are all part of Christ’s body, the Church. When we gather together and recite the Creeds, we are reminded that we are not alone in believing these things. When we join together in song, we are built up and supported by the faith of those around us. When we confess our sins together and receive the absolution, we are reassured that no Christian is perfect but that we are all made righteous in Christ alone.

So, are the local church and its celebrations of the Divine Service necessary? Most definitely. All Christians should consider this essential. It is like asking if food is essential for the body; in the same way God’s spiritual gifts are essential for the soul. One may fast for a time, but only for a time and then return for nourishment.

And yet there has also been a lot of consternation over the past year and a half because some of our secular leaders have deemed church services as nonessential. While this seems shocking to many Christians, it really shouldn’t be. Why should we expect those who do not recognize our Lord nor value His gifts to suddenly consider them essential? On the other hand, our secular leaders are charged by God (whether they acknowledge it or not) to help care for our bodily needs, so we shouldn’t be upset when they focus on bodily things rather than spiritual things.

In light of all this, how can Christians convince our secular leaders that the Church is indeed essential and that in times of pandemic, churches should not be unduly burdened? Unfortunately, this is not a quick or easy task. And the time of hard decisions is not the best time for us to make this case. Jesus shows us the right path in the Sermon on the Mount:

When we live our lives reflecting God’s love in good works, when we are freely and clearly sharing the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection for the forgiveness of sinners, then the world around us will value the Church. Even those who don’t accept the Gospel will see that there is something worthwhile going on.

Rev. Dr. John Hellwege is Associate Professor of Theology at Concordia Lutheran Seminary in Edmonton.